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Love Letters: Finding 'Financial Romance'

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(Thomas Hawk/Flickr)
(Thomas Hawk/Flickr)

One person in a couple wants to build a life together. The other — well, that person spends money on concerts and won't write a resume for the job hunt.

This week we're tackling the sticky situation when two people in a relationship have widely different attitudes towards money. It's not unusual — and, in fact, when marriages break up, one of the most frequently cited sources of conflict is money.

Relationship advice columnist Meredith Goldstein and financial planner Lisa J.B. Peterson join Radio Boston to explore issues of wants vs. needs, shared values, honest communication and strategies for financial romance (rather than ruin).

Because, really, who wants to be in this situation?

The above scene is from the movie "Jeff Who Lives At Home."

Guests:


From Anthony's Reading List

The Boston Globe's Love Letters: "He spends his money on concerts" -- "Q: I have a great boyfriend. We have been together for two years and live together. We love to do the same things, have mutual friends, and enjoy each other. I really love him and he is the most important person in my life. I have great girlfriends who support me and I am not afraid to be alone. I know that I am with him because I want to be with him..."

New York Times: Money Talks to Have Before Marriage -- "Divorce tends to be emotionally gut-wrenching for the people who go through it (not to mention those around them). But most couples don’t realize that divorce can also be among the most ruinous financial moves anyone can make..."

New York Times: How Debt Can Destroy a Budding Relationship -- "Nobody likes unpleasant surprises, but when Allison Brooke Eastman’s fiancé found out four months ago just how high her student loan debt was, he had a particularly strong reaction: he broke off the engagement within three days..."

The Atlantic: How We Spend -- "Even Americans who think they know where their money goes probably have no idea how their spending compares with that of their parents or grandparents. But such figures yield a surprising picture of how our economy works — and how it’s changing..."


This segment aired on May 25, 2012.

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